The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-11-20

lege. and when she went on the stage 1T
almost broke her mothers heart. |
happened to be going through the street
where she lives, and ] found her sitting
on the front steps welding her fan
vigorously. sat down and listened to
her story that l have heard before. but
never in such absolute and elaborate de-
tail. Her ways are, of course her owDs
and the morality of theatrical managers
is not my business to any particular ex
tent. l do not care to advertise Der or
the man with whom she had dealings,
but he is about as elaborate and con-
summate scoundrel as | know of. De-
tails OF the patience and ingenuity that
he displayed would have done credit to
Mephistopheles. He was fatherIy
and benevolent. He Introduced the
pretty soubrette in his company to his
family and insisted upon her stopping
week with him in his country place, He
took her to drive with his TWO daugh-
tiers to the park, and he was so careful
of her reputation that he would noe al
low her even to meet the members OF
his company except at rehearS sails Then
he performs d the introductio himself.
He was exceedingly careful to see that
she always had an escort 20 her house
at night at the play, and ne held espec
ial rehearsals just for her benefit, so that
she might make as much of q nit as
possible in the parts that she played. All
of this went along for nearly seven
months. The girl had mutually grown
fond OF him. so unremittipg and respect
full were his attentions But, ii the
end, she had to face the inevitable. He
placed the matter before. her as
absolutely and badly as though it had
been hunk of cheese, with the alterna-
tive OF success IL her profession or an
absolute and instant discharge. She
tore up the contract, threw it ii his
tace. and accepted the discharge. Then
she joined company in g neighboring
city. She is not a particularly robust
girl, and she has the gentlest and sweet
est manner in the world. She is, in
fact, precisely the sort of a woman
whom any man who is half man would
feel called upon to protect rather than
to abuse. She is of admirable family
aud excellent breed. The second mau-
ager that she went with was of the gruff
and hearty type. He was going to send
her to the top of the ladder at once. He
spoke to her IN an open and ingenious
manner about ms facilities for aiding
her, TALKED over certain parts that IL
was her hearts ambition to play, and
arranged with the stage manager to
give her special tutoring in these very
characters. She played in this com
pany three weeks and then came home
This particular rush was simply brutal.
She escaped without broken limbs and
III that alone she was fortunate.
recall the instance or Two girls who
started almost equal in theatrical life
Tess than four years ago. They were
warm personal friends, though in no
way related. The first Of them is q cold
stetuesque and handsome sort of
woman, with dash of Hebrew blood il
her veins and manner that nothing
ever ruffied. She took lessons in dane
ing, singing aud elocution hour after
hour every day, and she worked like a
Trojan, even though she was nHiy in
the chorus. Having perfected herself
in this part of her work. she saw that
she needed gorgeous costumes to make
any sort of an impression, and she took
the usual means or getting them. The
last time [ saw her here in the spring
she had brOugham of her own, wore
GEO o. $4,000 worth of diamonds on
the stage. and was 8 majestic compla
cent, handsom and successful woman.
The girl who arted out with her is still
J6SpSCtdUlS anu GSI6Smeu Dy QGr small
circle of frienfs. Occasionally she
capers about in the chorus; 81 other
times she and her mother teach a child
ren's dancing class. They are il
Wretched circumstances, and the
dramatic career of the daughter is an
emphatic and fiat failure. Yet she
started out more thoroughly equipped
than her companion. Had she gone
the way the other did her success would
have been very much greater. The con-
clusion of every man who is honest and
whose experience of stage life is at all
extensive must be absolute on questions
of this sort. There is about one chance
in 10000 on the stage for q woman who
is thoroughly honest and virtuous, and
who is not backed up by influential
friends. The other 8 999 chances go to
the womeh who accept things as they
lind them, and swallow the pill with as |
light grimace as possible Those are |
the facts, stripped of all tawdry senti- !
mentality and wishy washy gush.
BLAKELY HALL.